Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors is effective in various cancers, but may be associated with immune-mediated side effects in other organs. Among the more common ones is gastrointestinal ...tract involvement, especially colitis. In most patients, colitis is mild or responds to corticosteroid treatment. A smaller proportion of patients, more often those treated with cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 inhibitors, may have a more severe course of colitis, even life-threatening complications. In these patients, prompt action, timely diagnosis with endoscopic evaluation and early treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and, if ineffective, rescue therapy with biologic agents such as infliximab and vedolizumab are needed. We present three cases from our clinical practice, data on incidence and clinical presentation, current recommendations regarding diagnostic approach and treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors induced colitis.
Celiakija je kronična avtoimunska bolezen, ki prizadene tanko črevo pri bolnikih z genetsko predispozicijo ob uživanju glutena. Lahko se pojavi v katerem koli starostnem obdobju pri ženskah in ...moških. Predstavljamo starostnika s kronično drisko in hujšanjem, pri katerem smo s histološkim izvidom vzorcev sluznice terminalnega ileuma odkrili celiakijo. Le-ta se je odkrila po kirurškem zdravljenju zapletenega zloma in med dolgotrajnim zdravljenjem z antibiotiki. Pojavili so se huda dehidracija z ortostatsko hipotenzijo, metabolna acidoza, ledvična insuficienca, motnje elektrolitov in pomanjkanje vitamina K. Ob potrjeni diagnozi celiakije govorimo o celiakalni krizi. Po brezglutenski dieti se je hitro izboljšala bolnikova telesna zmogljivost, telesna teža je pričela naraščati, laboratorijski izvidi so se usmerili k normalizaciji. S primerom želimo opozoriti, da se lahko celiakija pojavi tudi v 8. desetletju življenja in da je pri klinični sliki kronične driske nanjo potrebno tudi pomisliti.
Introduction
Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a common and serious co-morbidity in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Its importance as a prognostic factor has been increasingly recognised during the past ...decades. Much effort has been invested in the improvement of nutritional status and amelioration of consequences through different therapeutic approaches, either intradialytic parenteral nutrition or more commonly oral nutritional supplementation. In the article, we present the results of a prospective study in HD patients after 12 months of therapeutic intervention with oral nutritional supplements (ONS).
Methods
A total of 92 HD adult patients were enrolled in the study after 3 months of wash-out period. Baseline nutritional status was assessed using composite scores, laboratory markers, bioelectrical impedance analysis, and hand-grip strength test. Patients recognised as undernourished or at high risk for undernutrition received renal-specific commercially available ONS on HD day in addition to their regular diet. After 12 months, the effect of ONS on surrogate markers of undernutrition, serum albumin level, phase angle, and hand-grip strength was analysed in 71 surviving patients.
Results
After 12 months, data for 71 patients, 39 (54.9%) men, 62.4 ± 12.9 years, and median haemodialysis vintage 53.3 (IQR 27.5–92.8) months, were available. Patients were divided into three groups: group A patients were with normal nutritional status at baseline not necessitating ONS; group B patients received ONS; and group C patients were entitled to receive but refused to take ONS. The baseline results showed statistically significant differences between the groups in serum albumin levels and phase angle but not hand-grip strength. Differences between the groups remained statistically significant at month 12; we did not find any statistically significant positive changes within the groups, indicating no positive effect of intervention with ONS.
Conclusion
In a prospectively designed interventional single-centre study, we did not find a statistically significant change in surrogate markers of PEW in our cohort of HD patients, receiving ONS for 12 months. Since PEW is an independent risk factor influencing the survival of HD patients, efforts should be directed towards a timely and comprehensive nutritional approach, including intensive, personalised dietary counselling, increase in protein and energy intake and advocating tight control of nutritional status during HD treatment, possibly providing psychological support and motivation.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Malnutrition in patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) develops along different pathways, and factors contributing to the development of malnutrition may be ...categorized as of iatrogenic and non-iatrogenic origins. Iatrogenic factors are an inadvertent consequence of dialysis for HD patients (e.g. removal of uremic solutes), whereas non-iatrogenic factors develop spontaneously from different factors accompanying the progression of kidney disease but are not related to the primary treatment (e.g. low dietary energy and protein intake). Malnutrition is prevalent in 28%–54% HD patients and is an important risk factor for mortality. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of serum uric acid (SUA) and other non-invasive markers of malnutrition on the survival of maintenance HD patients.
METHOD
We performed a study on 77 HD patients without malignant disease who were observed from January 2016 until their death or January 2021. Their median age was 63.0 (IQR 19) years, and their dialysis vintage was 1449 (IQR 1848) days. We recorded past medical history, laboratory tests and basic demographic data and performed bioelectrical impedance analysis with BodyStat (BodyStat Ltd). Patients who were at risk for malnutrition, based on nutrition screening tools, received oral nutritional supplements (ONS). SUA was measured every 2 months and the mean value was used for analysis. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox's regression were performed.
RESULTS
Included patients (51.9% males) had diabetes mellitus (33.8%), arterial hypertension (87.0%), ischemic heart disease (24.7%), chronic obstructive lung disease (3.9%), liver disease (3.9%) and were smokers (14.3%). They received an ONS in 63.6%. During the observation period, 50.6% of them died. We created tertile groups (low, medium and high) based on mean SUA < 294 μmol/L, 294–337 μmol/L and > 337 μmol/L, respectively. The low group had significantly lower body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.044), total iron binding capacity (TIBC) (P = 0.001), phase angle (P = 0.003) and dry lean mass (DLM) (P = 0.048), however there were no significant differences in prescription of ONS (P = 0.092). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed significantly higher mortality for patients in the low tertile group (P = 0.004). In Cox's regression model, SUA remained significant when adjusted for age, sex, BMI and comorbidities (P = 0.026). However, when adjusting for other markers of malnutrition and receiving ONS, only phase angle, albumin, DLM, fat free mass index and TIBC remained statistically significant.
CONCLUSION
Low SUA levels in chronic HD patients are associated with lower survival and can help identify individuals who are at risk for malnutrition. Further studies should be done to guide possible interventions.
Hemodialysis (HD) patients are at increased risk for undernutrition, especially protein wasting. We present the results of a prospective study in HD patients after 4 months of intervention with oral ...nutritional supplements (ONS).
After a 3-month wash-out period, 92 HD patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were tested for undernutrition with composite parameters, laboratory tests, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and hand-grip strength test (HGS). All patients fulfilling criteria for, or at high risk of, undernutrition were given ONS in addition to their regular diet. The impact of short-term ONS on surrogate markers of undernutrition was statistically analyzed.
Data for 84 patients, 45 (53.6%) male, average age 63.3 years, were available for analysis after 4 months. Patients were divided into three groups: group A (n = 28), patients with normal nutritional status (NUS) at baseline not necessitating ONS; group B (n = 43), patients entitled to receive ONS; group C (n = 13), patients entitled to receive but refused to take ONS. In group B patients, received on average 4.1 bottles of ONS (902 mL; 1,623.6 kcal; 73.06 g protein) per week. Baseline results showed statistically-significant differences between groups in serum albumin levels and phase angle (PhA) but not in HGS. After 4 months of ONS, we noticed stagnation of observed markers in group B. Interestingly, in group A, significant deterioration of serum albumin and PhA was observed, but HGS improved. There was a trend towards worsening of serum albumin levels and HGS in group C not reaching statistical significance.
In undernourished HD patients after ONS we did not find statistically-significant improvement of NUS evaluating surrogate markers. Nevertheless, in undernourished patients not receiving ONS, serum albumin and HGS showed a trend towards worsening, and even in well-nourished patients, nutritional markers (serum albumin and PhA) declined. We speculate that a certain positive effect of ONS on nutritional status in undernourished HD patients could be observed already after short-term supplementation. .
We present the case of a 58-year-old female with a history of a bleeding duodenal peptic ulcer. Endoscopic hemostasis was unsuccessful; therefore, a transcatheter arterial embolization of a culprit ...vessel was performed. She was admitted to the hospital two months later because of obstruction of the common bile duct with cholangitis. Attempts to endoscopically place a biliary stent failed. The treating medical team opted for a surgical choledocho-jejunostomy. After 20 months, she presented with a melena and a severe anemia. Diagnostic work-up revealed portal vein thrombosis with portal cavernoma and bleeding choledocho-jejunostomy varices. The case presents and discusses rare complications of duodenal ulcer disease, as well as possible causes and treatment options.
Introduction: Colorectal cancer carcinogenesis is a complex, long-lasting multistep process. Patients with diff erent polyposis syndromes, including Peutz-Jeghers, have signifi cantly increased risk ...for diff erent types of cancer.Patients and methods: In this paper the authors are presenting a patient with Peutz- Jeghers syndrome, the clinical characteristics of this disease, molecular and genetic features, associations with carcinogenesis and screening possibilities. Th is syndrome, characterized by the development of hamartomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract and mucocutaneus hiperpigmentations, was fi rst described in a Dutch family in 1921 and is associated with increased risk of malignancy for the patient and his relatives. Conclusions: Early diagnosis of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is important for the prevention and/or early detection of cancer.
With the increasing number of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, it is difficult to manage them within specialised IBD teams in academic medical centres: many are therefore treated in ...nonacademic IBD centres. It is unclear whether the time to introducing biologics is the same in both settings.
We aimed to compare treatment approach with biologics in academic vs. nonacademic centres.
We analysed Slovenian national IBD registry data (UR-CARE Registry, supported by the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation), which included 2 academic (2319 patients) and 4 nonacademic IBD (429 patients) centres.
The disease phenotype was similar in both settings. In total, 1687 patients received 2782 treatment episodes with biologics. We observed no differences in treatment episodes with TNF-alpha inhibitors (60% vs. 61%), vedolizumab (24% vs. 23%), or ustekinumab (17% vs. 16%) in academic compared to nonacademic centres ( P = 0.949). However, TNF inhibitors were less often the first biologic in academic centres (TNF inhibitors: 67.5% vs. 74.0%, vedolizumab: 20.3% vs. 17.9%, ustekinumab: 12.1% vs. 8.1%; P = 0.0096). Consequently, more patients received ustekinumab (29.8% vs. 18.3%) and vedolizumab (17.4% vs. 13.5%) and fewer TNF inhibitors (52.7% vs. 68.2%) for Crohn's disease in academic compared to nonacademic centres, with no such differences for ulcerative colitis. The time to initiation of the first biologic from diagnosis was short and similar in both settings (11.3 vs. 10.4 months, P = 0.2).
In this nationwide registry analysis, we observed that biological treatment choice was similar in academic and nonacademic settings. These findings support the decentralisation of IBD care.
